French comedian investigated for comments on James Foley killing

PARIS, Sept 5 (Reuters) - French authorities have opened an
investigation into a controversial comedian who mocked the
killing of U.S. journalist James Foley and showed footage of it
in a video.

Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala said that decapitation "symbolises
before anything progress, access to civilisation" in the video
that appeared on the internet last month.

The Paris prosector's office said police were starting a
preliminary investigation into Dieudonne on the grounds that he
had condoned terrorism.

Foley was beheaded by Islamic State militants last month
after being kidnapped while covering the Syrian conflict and
held for 20 months. The act caused outrage around the world.

In the video, called "Foley That Was," Dieudonne said the
2011 killing of ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and that of
former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, who was hanged in 2006,
never aroused the same indignation as Foley's death.